Strand packaging apparatus



y 1946. A. E.'w|Ns| ow 2,

I STRAND PACKAGING APPARATHS Filed Jan. 11', 1944 4 She ets'Sheet 1 INVENTOR Wilts/0 w ATTORNEYS May 14, 1946. A. E. w lNsLow 2,400,324. STRAND PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 11, 1944 4 Sheets-Shet 2 ATTORNEYS May 14, 1946. A. E. wmsLoW 2,400,324

STRAND PAQKAGING APPARATUS F iled Jan. 11, 1944- (Sheets-Sheet} 74 INVENTOR (Z 6e19 1 Wz'liQ/o w ATTORNEYS May 14, 1946.

'A. E. wm sLow 2,400,324 STRAND PACKAGING APP RATUS Filed Jan. 11, 1944 4 Sheets-Shet 4 INVENTOR fl/Ter/ZZ Mg: slaw fla/gwafimh ATTORNEYS material delivered to each Patented May 14, 1946 2,400,324 I STRAND PACKAGING APlARATUS Albert E. Winslow, Norwich, Conn, assignor, by R mesne assignments, to Farrel-Birmingham Company, Incorporated, Ansonia,'Conn., a cor---. 1 j w poration ofConnecticut I'Applicationjanuary 11, 1944.,SerialNo. 517.3611

Claims. (Cl. 242-355) "f'lhis inventionfrelates to-anv apparatusfor,

packaging strand material 'and deals specifically witha unit in a threadfinishing apparatus which is thesubject of myco-pending application Serial No. 51' 7,862 ,'filed January '11, 1944.

v 'In- 'ajstrand or packaging machine wherefthe sizeof Ithe packageis increasing a friction drive which slipsto compensate for growing size of the package is usually, utilized for'driving the package for taking up 'the strand material. Such a slip is 'in; many instances unsatisfactory and does not permit of the desired tension beingapplied to the strand' material. Dii iiculties in such packaging are multiplied when a large number of packages are to. be handled.

One of the objects of this inventionis to provide a packaging' machine or take-up machine for strand material through which alarge number'ofjpacka'ges may be handled and the strand thefdesired tension. 7 Another object. of this invention is to provide a drivefor a'strand package so that no slip will occur in the drive whilethe'package is'increasing in-size.

A more specific'object of this invention is to provide a surface drive for aplurality of the packages and .yet such'a surface drive/as will be simple and may be operated witha'minimum amount of trouble. I

A'notherobject' ofthis invention is to balance the-traverse mechanisms sof that they will be easily operated;

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of con-, struction, as' will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying" drawings:

Fig. '1 shows a fragmental portionof the machine at' the'head end partly in section to illustrate the drive; I

Fig.2 is avertical'section through the machine adjacent-one of the upright supporting 1 frames: Rig. -3 is'a horizontal sectionillustrating the driveor'thetraverse bars j I f j- Fig$4 is=a 'sectionlon line 4i 4of Fig. 3:

Figz-S-lsifl diagrammatic view in plan'illustrat-' I mg'lth fil smission of movement to th traverse mechanism; v

Fig; 6 is-a plan-view illustrating a means for tensioning the'drivingibelt;

Fig, 7-is" a detailed sectional view illustrating themounting of'aspindle forrecelving the package spool and also illustrating the driving belt for thisspool; V 1 I of the packages under A i -8 is aplan view of the parts shownin Fi .7; V v ,9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating in plan the arrangement of the driving belt for the packages andv the supporting and tensioning means refor; V Fig. 10 is adiagrammatio l ewillustrating the delivery, of the strand material-tojthedifferent packages; V

In proceedingwith this invention. I provide a suitable framework for supportinga pluarlity of rows of packages for the reception of strandmaterial. A belt extends in a vertical plane along each row of packages so that the packages will contact therewith and be driven by the belt, thus providing a surface-drive for'each package. A long bar with .guides adjacent each package is provided and thisbaris traversed to lay the strand material onthe package. asdesired. I provide even numbers of rows of-packages and guides therefor and l-soltraverse the thread guides that the motionof any pairis one opposite the other so that as one ofthe bars is going up the other bar is going down whereby thebars may be arranged in balanced relation. Withreference to the drawings I have shown in Fig. 2 an upright supporting frame designated generally l0 which is arranged with suitable legs I l',v l2 witha'vertical post. l3 and an inclinedsupport l4 in orderthatasstepped arrangement of. packages maycbeprovided. One of .theseframes will be at each end of the machine while one or more may be intermediate the ends depending on the length of the machine to-be. provided.

The several. structures ID are tied together by hollow-rods-arranged in pairs as at l5 and H5 at theback and hollow rods I! and [8' at-the front which are bound to the frame structures If) to providea-rigid framework. Additional-rods [5a and I6a and Ila and l8a are provided, there being as many of these tie rods. as there aretobe rows;.of packagesarranged on the-frame. In

this case I have illus'trated four. and theiother two-setsof tie rodsare designatedrespectively as l5b, I6b, llb; I81), and we; I6 0. llc;'an'd-l8'c.' At suitable intervals along the'se' rods such as "and" brackets'as 20 (see FigL -B) are provided which areclamped to the rods an'd'fare equipped with a spindle 2|. for rotatably supporting a back-up guide 22 thereon, These guides are in horizontal alignment. Other imilar guides 22a,

22b, and 220, are similarly arranged. on the rods with the a. b, and c exponents respectively. A belt 24 which is substantially the width of the, guide 22 extends along and in engagement with the guides 22 and thence around a terminal guide 25 and 26 and around the driving drum 21 (see Fig. 9). Similar belts 24a, 24b, and 24a, extend along the guide 22a, 22b, and 220, respectively and around similar end guides as shown at 25 and 26 and also about drive pulleys 21a, 27b, and 210 respectively as shown in Fig. 1.

In order that this belt 24 or the other belts 24a, 24b, and 240 may be tensioned I have provided for engagement with each belt at suitable intervals along its extent between the guides and drives 26 and 21. sion it by a pulley 29 which is mounted on a lever 33 pivoted in a bracket 3| attached to the rods I I and Hi. This lever is pulled in a direction to force the pulley outwardly into engagement with the belt to tension the same by means of a flexible element 32 directed over a sheave 33 mounted on a bracket 34 and weighted as at 35. Similar parts with the exponent a, b, and c are indicated for the different rows which arecharacterized by these exponents.

On the rods H and I8 I have also provided a bracket 36' (-see Fig. 8) which supports a stud 31 about which an arm 38 is swung by means of a spring 39. This arm has mounted in it a spindle 40 upon which a package spool 4| is rotatably mounted. The package spool has heads 42 and 43 a distance apart sufiiciently so as to receive the driving belt 24 between these heads. The belt engages the barrel '44 of this spool so as to rotate the sameand as the strand material is accumulated thereon it engages the surface of the strand -material' providing a surface drive therefor. The spring swings the arm of the spindle toward the belt to provide the desired frictional drive necessary while as the package builds up by the accumulation of strand material thereon the arm will swing away against the spring pressure which is provided. The brackets 36. are adjustable along the rods 41 and I8 and position. a package at about the mid point on thebelt between its contacts with. the supporting guides 22.

A traverse bar 45: carrying strand guides 45. at intervals along its length opposite each of the packages is supported by a post 41 at each. of the upright supporting frames which posts are guided in the bearings 4.8. and 49 provided. in the frame while each of the posts. is equipped with a foot 50; torestupon the roll 5-] of a lever arm 52- (see. Fig. 1). which rock so as. to vertically move the post 41 through its bearing to traverse the strand on the package.

The main drive shaft 28 is vertically located at the head end. of the-machine and is driven (see Figs. 1 and. 3) by meansof: a Worm gear 55 and worm 5.6 on shaft 5'1v is driven by; the belt pulley 58. This shafti'l; is mountedin; a. sleeve 59 and bracket 60 which may be moved about the center of the shaft28 through an arc solthat drive from the desired direction. may be easily had; The traverse drive is taken off this shaft 28. by means of e r: 6.1. fix d thereon meshin with a gear; 62. havinga gear 63. which is. secured to rotate therewith and which in turn meshes with a gear 642 on the shaft 65,. ,This' shaft 65. carries. a wormnfifi (Fig. 1) which meshes with the gear 61 on shaft 68, which shaft carries the heart shaped cam 69 to engage the follower 1.0 on the end 1 l; of the.

bell crank arm whose other arm. 12: iSLCOnnGCtCd by the link 13 with the arm 14.

A rod. 16 is alsoatt'ached. to the arm. 14. which transfers. motion to an arm 14m associated with.

the next upright support frame and to an arm;

The belt 24 is engaged to ten- 14y at the end support frame of the machine. A sectional shaft having one part 15 telescoping another part 15' is supported in bearings 11 and 18. The arm 74 is fixed to the part 15 which also has fixed to it arms 52 and 52a so that as the arm 14 is rocked the arms 52 and 52a. are also rocked aboutthe axisof the shaft 15. The reduced portion 19 of the shaft, 15 fits into the tubular portion 15' which is free to rotate about this portion 19. Arms 5212 and 520 are fixed on the portion 15' as is also a depending arm 80.

At the opposite end of the machine there is a similarly arranged sectional shaft with one part 8L telescoping another part 8|. The arm Hg is attached to the part 8| which carries arms 52c'J and52by. while the part 8 l is free to rotate about a reduced portion of the part 8| and carries arms 52y and 52cm, also an upwardly extending arm 82.

A solid shaft is at the mid-stand of this frame andis' rockedby the arm 142: which is fixed thereto. This shaft 83 carries arms 52:0 and 52ar on. one side and 5212.11: and 520a: on the other side while upwardly extending from one part of the arm is an arm 84 and downwardly extending from another part of the arm is an arm 85, The arms 84 and 85" are provided with suitably arched surfaces to engage a steel, band for driving the -telescl mmng portions of. the shaft '15" and 81". Thus the steel band 86' drives from the armstd tothe arm 8!! to rock the part 15" and arms 5% and 520. thereon while the steel band- 8? drives from the arm. 85. to the arm 82 to rock the arms 52;; and May. The arrangement of these steel bands is such that they produce upward motion of the arms which they operate while the weight of the supporting posts and the guide rails arejsufiicl'ent to follow these arms downwardly when they are permitted. to move downwardly by rocking motion of the center shaft 83. In this manner as thetwo arms 52 and 52a; or the arms. 52:: and52y with exponents a and b are moving in one direction. the arms 52b and 520 and the arms 52:1: and 52y with exponents c and d are moving in. the op osite direction wherebya. balanced. arrangement of motion is provided for.

Th p ration. of. the. several elements of the apparatus has been given in connection. with the detailed description thereof. Therefore, av general description of the operationof the apparatus as a whole will suffice in order to clearlyunderstand its. mode of operation.

r A spool 4.! is plac'ed. -on the spindle 40. An individual. strand is then led to the barrel of the spool, and secured thereto in any well known manner such for instanoeaswrapping the strand about. the barrel thereof. The spring actuated spindle holder isthen. allowed to move the spool into contact with the particular. belt. associated therewith. The winding ofthe, spool then commences; and is continuous..- until the spool. is filled and removed from the apparatus, the traverse bar properly guiding thestgand'in-a well understood ma-nner. Itis of counse-tobe understood that there is a multiplicity of. spools and motion above-describedin each apparatus, The strand may be led to the spool from a suitable supply. In; theinstant case; a plurality; ofstrands previously treated in an apparatusdesig-nated generally. lat-, see Fig lQ,;are-led,theref-rom as at H30 toacommon: uide-.: 1 Erom this. common; uide the strands are led; individually to; individual guides 46 carried by the traverse bars 415.

' I claim:

1. In a strand packaging apparatus, a plurality of driven belts superimposed one above the other and of a width substantially the axial length of the packages to be wound, a plurality of rows of rotatably mounted yarn packages positioned one above the other in step formation, resilient means to urge each of the packages of a row into engagement with one of said belts to cause'the belts to engage the surface of the packages to drive the, same, a plurality of rows of guides for directing the strands to the packages, and means for traversing said guides, certain of said rows,

of guides moving upwardly as certain other of said rows of guides move downwardly.

2. In a strand packaging apparatus, a plurality of driven belts superimposed one above the other and of a width substantially the axial length of the packages to be wound, a plurality ,of rows of rotatably mounted yarn packages positioned one above the other in step formation, resilient means to urge each row of said packages into engage,- ment with one of said belts to cause the belts to engage the surface of the packages to drive the same, a plurality of rows of guides for directing the strands to the package, and means for traversing said guides, certain of said rows of guides moving upwardly as certain other of said rows of guides move downwardly, said rows being equal in number and rows of guides being arranged in balanced relation to move in opposite the packages to be wound, a plurality of rows of rotatably mounted yarn packages positioned one abovethe other in step formation, resilient'means to urge each of the packages of a row into enrotatably mounted yarn packages positioned one above the other in step formation, resilient means I to urge each row of said packages into engagement with one-of said belts to cause the belts to engage the surface of the packages to drive the same, a plurality of rows of guides for directing the strands to the package, and cam means for traversing said guides,'certain of said rows of guides moving upwardly as certain other of said rows of guides move downwardly, said rows being equal in number and rows of guides being arranged in balanced relation to move in opposite directions.

5. In a. strand packaging apparatus, a plurality of driven belts superimposed one above the other,

a plurality of rows of rotatably mounted yarn packages positioned one above the other in stepped formation and rotatable about vertical disposed axes, resilient means to urge eachof the packages of a row into engagement with one of said belts to cause'the belts to engage the surface of the packages to drive the same, a plurality of rows of guides for directing the strands to the 7 packages, and means for traversing said guides,

certain of'said rows of guides moving upwardly 

